Anamnesis
by KitsuneCagalli
Summary: Kaname Buccaneer, infamous leader of Walküre, continuously suffers the loss of her beloved friend and pilot. As war continues, she trudges on with the help of her team amidst Windermerean dangers. Wrapped up in secrets and history, she soon discovers that friends, old and new, and enemies will take her journey beyond the expected. And in the process, she might learn to love again.
1. Prologue: Arduous Recollections

Babiessssss T.T I wrote more MesaKana stuff. Here it is. Yup. It's going to be a chapter fic. Which I suck at writing consistently. But I'll give it a go anyway because they are my babiesssss. And they definitely need more love.

Hope you enjoy this beginning, it is just the start of a Kaname story and lost love that endures through life.

 **Disclaimer:** Of course I do not own any of the Macross franchise or it's characters. That honor belongs to Kawamori~ I just write their stories from my imagination :)

* * *

 **Anamnesis**

 _Prologue: Arduous Recollections_

~O~

The sounds of waves echoed within the space of the gray room like a gentle roar in the quiet. The distance of the noise was more artificial since the crashes came from a holographic screen rather than an actual sea, but the memory of the water beating against the sand was the desired effect. And so it was achieved.

Red hair tickled the back of her neck, though no wind or fan pushed the strands around. It was always like this: otherworldly. Like ghostly fingers were skimming her, coaxing her into turning around to find nothing there. She ignored the cold feeling as had become the custom. Azure eyes watched the rain dribble down glass panels of a French-style window, barely recognizing the shapes moving about in the night. Within her hand a glass of amber liquid swirled around in a sloppy fashion, occasionally splashing drops onto the hardwood floor beneath her. She was perched on a chair with her knees pulled up to her chest, eyelids droopy in their alcoholic haze. It was a familiar state of haze that the singer wished to remain in for as long as possible. For as long as her brief break allowed her.

"You are going to die if you keep this up." Although she should have been startled, the woman with the glass merely twisted her head behind her to peer at the intruding presence that had managed their way into her sanctuary of moroseness. Lavender curls longer than imaginable and sharp, crimson eyes greeted her emotionlessly. The redhead didn't have the energy to disagree and maneuvered her gaze back towards the darkened landscape visible through her window.

"I am going to die someday anyway." Her voice was hoarse from disuse and whisky, but she liked it that way. Whisky reminded her of _him_. A strong, stable sort of drink with a great color, just as he had been.

"Kaname." She ignored her name, instead looking down to the bracelet that rested against her wrist. She hadn't dared play the single song the device held, but she never could force herself to take off the accessory since that night on the Ragnan beach where they passed _him_ to the jellyfish. It was his memory that reminded her of the strength she needed to demonstrate and create within herself. Amidst her thoughts, she felt her company hovering behind her uncomfortably, and, uncharacteristically, the leader of Walküre snapped at the lead vocal of their group.

"What, Mikumo?" The woman's voice was saturated with tiredness and agitation, but it seemed to not faze the other in the slightest. A hand settled on the short haired woman's shoulder, and the latter leaned back unconsciously until the mysterious Venus had coiled her arms completely around her. Kaname felt a sting behind her eyes that she forced to stay buried inside. There was no need for emotions to run amok this evening.

"Don't do this to yourself." The whispered words by her ear were accompanied by a face rubbing into the curve of her exposed shoulder. The warm breath against her skin was slowly returning feeling to Kaname's numb body, something that felt extremely unpleasant when she was trying to complete dissipate all sensation. Yet, the elder could not control her motherly sense, and she reached her free hand up to squeeze Mikumo's forearm comfortingly. The other hand took a swig of whisky, and the pinching liquid burned its way down her throat.

"I'm not hurting anyone," the blue eyed woman commented quietly, noting just how grating her own voice was. She had lost count of how many glasses she'd downed, but the almost empty liquor bottle on the floor signaled some hint of her intoxication. She honestly felt that in that moment, her substance abuse was a risk to no one around her.

"Just yourself," intoned the woman hugging her close. The arms minutely tightened around her. Ah, well there was that. Kaname wouldn't deny that her own body might disagree with the manner of her misconduct, but she felt exploitative of the lead vocal's concern at this moment as well. She preferred to be alone in this state specifically so the others wouldn't be involved. They didn't need to witness their leader falling to pieces after they left the battlefield.

" **He** wouldn't want this." The redhead couldn't help the sharp inhale at the pointed words aimed at her. Mikumo was a master of manipulation, and this was a clear example. The elder did not in fact want to be lectured about something she knew was weak and unnecessary, but the lavender-haired woman was pouring salt into her wounds to get her out of her stupor. Still, it was not the crimson eyed singer's place to use her beloved pilot in such a way. Especially not against Kaname.

" _ **I**_ don't want him dead. We don't always get what we want in life, Mikumo." It was scathing and had the desired effect. The addressed woman shuffled away from the leader of Walküre warily, like a dog that had bitten its master and was ashamed for its actions. Kaname did not falter as her gaze, inebriated or not, pierced the other woman with her message. _Do NOT play games using Messer with me._

"Kaname." It was almost broken, the response of her friend. Mikumo glanced sadly to the floor, and for the second time in this encounter, the addressed woman felt like the villain in a story. She set her emptied glass upon the floor and managed to wobble her way to her feet as she faced the beautiful songstress before her. The mysterious woman was leaning against the doorframe, face defeated and so uncharacteristically melancholic. A sigh pulled free of her lips, and the taller woman rubbed her temples from the oncoming headache.

"Just give me this. Let me remember." Kaname was the leader of the tactical musical unit Walküre. She was a manager and scheduler for a group of women risking their lives daily. She was a liaison between a private military and the common people both on and off the battlefield. But she was not immortal. Nor was she an actual Valkyrie as was their namesake.

She was just a woman. A woman who had lost a friend, a protector, a love.

She could pretend to be alright most days, but she needed to let go of her heart sometimes. On days like today. On days when it felt like Messer was not gone, but merely in the other room working at his desk. When he would quietly enter, beckon her to review the new air maneuvers to accompany the Waccine concert they would be performing. When he would disregard her thanks for his protective efforts as his mission. When he would remind her to take a rest and ignore her own reversal of that comment towards him. The stinging returned behind Kaname's eyes as she thought of all this. _Oh, how I miss you, Messer._

In front of her, the redhead noticed that Mikumo's posture had straightened, and her eyes followed her slightly swaying body with an empathetic expression. She took a small step forward, casual nightgown brushing against pale thighs. When the other did not bristle or bark back at her, the mysterious woman stepped forward until they were a few centimeters apart.

"I didn't know you would take his passing so hard." Her words were gentle and soothing, as her friend often was when the outside world wasn't looking. Kaname understood Mikumo and her efforts. The two of them had little to rely on in this world besides each other. That's why Walküre was in such a stable and functional state. Because as the caretakers, the leader and goddess created that harmony. Nonetheless, their friendship was beyond even their occupation.

The incident on their desert neighbor, for example. It was logical that when Messer's Siegfried bee-lined for the Al Shahal desert, that Mikumo was the one ignoring her fainting spell and skidding her way to Kaname's side. It was logical that Mikumo collected her sobbing body to her own, and screamed angrily to Commander Arad to round up Walküre as soon as possible and vacate the planet. It was only logical that Mikumo was the one to haul Kaname's unresponsive and devastated being onto the VF-31S Siegfried while barking out orders for Mirage, Hayate, and Chuck to kick into gear and move the rest of Walküre to safety before they escaped by folding.

They had been forced to abandon Δ02, but managed to recover the aircraft a few days later with the help of some agents stationed by Xaos. Their luck was apparent when they defolded back into Ragna without a hitch just as they escaped planetary orbit. And through all of this, Mikumo had been the one to console her and bring her back to her responsibilities. The enigmatic singer was her support system, and Kaname knew she should not take such a friendship for granted. The redhead let her head hang down as the floor beneath her shifted left and right. Sure faith in her partner, the elder's head pitched forward until she was slumped against the lavender-haired woman, and undesired tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I never expected him to _die_ ," the blue eyed female whimpered, overwhelmed by the realization yet again that her beloved pilot was no longer by her side. She wanted nothing more than Mikumo's warm, docile grip to transform into muscled arms and tight embraces. She wanted to feel warm again, not the coldness of loss that followed her everywhere. "I never expected to lose everything I could have had." Her raw voice sounded foreign to her own ears, understanding now that everything she could have shared with Messer was snatched away by war and misunderstanding and devotion. Windermere's War, Xaos' misunderstandings, and Messer's devotion.

"You loved him, didn't you?" was the benign question that permeated the air after a long while. The confident diva had managed to coax the redhead to her bed in that time, and now said woman lay curled against her friend's side, breathing steadied after her breakdown.

"I did. I _do_."

She knew it clearly. Her attraction to the First Lieutenant had been more than crushes and physical appeal. Messer had been a figure of understanding in her life when others took little notice of her. He had shadowed her, but never with pressure or obligation. He was just _there_ , protective and strong through everything that she had suffered with. Yet now . . .

Now she was alone.

"What can I do?" were the whispered words as cautious hands smoothed over her tangled red hair. Kaname took the opportunity to shut her eyes and just feel the sensation of real rather than ghostly fingers on her. How she wished things could go back to the way they had been before the battle of Al Shahal.

"Tell me _he_ wouldn't be disappointed in _me_." The broken woman needed the reassurance she once used to get from her beloved pilot. She had struggled through much and bore the brunt of being a leader with little regret or distraction. Now all that remained was hearing from others if Messer would be proud of where she'd ended up. She _needed_ to know he wouldn't have lost faith in her. Kaname required it to continue her fragmented survival.

"He would have _cherished_ you as you are now." The words struck her heart, and she brimmed with feelings. The observant friend understood exactly what she required. The other pulled the elder's face into her chest as fresh tears cascaded down swollen cheeks. "You've been so strong recently. Please, don't forget about us, too, Kaname." It was rare that the leader was reminded that her team needed her, as it always seemed inevitable that she would be around. However, having Mikumo plead with her was slowly waking the redhead up. She might be lost and devastated over her love, but there were others in the living world that loved _her_ and needed to be supported by their leader.

"Be strong for us. We need you, too."

"Mikumo." Giving into the tears she felt that did not belong to her, Kaname shivered with suppressed sobs and she gripped the lavender-haired singer to her own body. The two females would be exposed and freed of their melancholy together.

"I will try."

~O~

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I love Kaname/Mikumo moments T_T


	2. Chapter 1: Enigmatic Encounters

I updated~! * le gasp * I need to be better at writing chapter stories so here's to continuations hopefully on everything I have left, even fandoms that people don't check any more (Gundam00/Pokemon/etc.)~ Let's do this~!

As always, please let me know comments and thoughts and if the plot catches your interest, dear readers ;)

 **Disclaimer:** Macrossie not miney.

* * *

 **Anamnesis**

 _Chapter 1: Enigmatic Encounters_

~O~

They tickled her cheek. Ghostly fingers were brushing against her, and soothed the feeling of anguish. She didn't want to acknowledge them, but they had already pulled her mind away from her dreaming state. The brushes moved from her face to her shoulders, further trying to rouse the redheaded woman. She resisted, but then gave into the waking as she bolted up. She had been laying down at her work station, nestled among planners and manuals and papers. Nothing was disturbed as she anxiously looked around for the source of her rousing, finding only darkness and quiet.

Well, almost quiet. At a very low volume, she heard the lyrics to her song _Axia_ whisper about lost love from a very familiar bracelet. The aquamarine light was dimmed to match the song, and Kaname stared at it in confusion. She didn't remember playing Messer's song while working . . . Still, she searched again for the presence she could never locate, and gave up by putting her face into her hands. But Kaname was surprised to find wetness, before realizing what had occurred. She'd cried in her sleep it seemed. She had been dreaming about Messer again.

He'd had his back to her, and she chased him through darkness in her dream. He was calling her name the further he moved away, and she wasn't able to reach him. Her hands would stretch and reach, but it was not enough. His husky voice, so intimate and customary, was asking her to find him, to help him. And Kaname was willing to go through Hell or high water to do so. But she could never get close enough to grab his hand. And when her pilot was swallowed by the darkness, she had cried for him, screamed his name until her voice was raw. She had collapsed onto herself, only to be roused by his fingers around her shoulders. He'd coaxed her up, reminded her to be strong, and whispered a promise in her ear. The promise she could not remember though. And then she returned to the world of the living yet again.

The idol silenced the song and brought her memento close to her heart. Tears dripped onto the musical jewelry, and the blue eyed woman didn't bother to brush them away. She needed to shed her feelings away before she made any moves to gather herself home. The holoscreen clock displayed a time of _3:03 A.M._ , and the redhead knew she had to head to the dorms. There was no more work to complete this evening that she could manage, so the best thing would be to go home. Once more, the singer let her eyes scan the room for anything out of place, or a sign of something astray. Sighing in defeat and heartbreak, Kaname rose up, gathered her things, and left the conference room with tears still prickling her eyes. This new dream would haunt her thoughts for the rest of her waking moments before she reached her bed.

She wanted him to come back to her. At least in dreams.

~O~

The battlefield was as thrilling as ever. Yet standing in the T-point dome, singing for the future and people as always, Kaname couldn't help her sense of despair at the shots being fired endlessly above them. When would the pain end? When would the enemy halt their tyrannical reign of terror against the common people? When could they be free to live and love and _mourn_ again?

It appeared as if it never would as shots were continuously fired all around them. The leader of Walküre reminded Freyja to focus on her voice and feelings as a stray laser beam collided with their wall of protection, and the youngest member shrieked in surprise. It was difficult to control her anxiety in the face of battle, but Kaname had years of practice as compared to her newer member. So she stood her ground, squeezed the Windermerean's shoulder in comfort, and they continued harmonizing with Mikumo's penetrating vocals in their song. Delta squadron's Siegfrieds buzzed all around them in aerial defense and maneuvers, yet the bubble of stress seemed strong in the redhead today. She glanced to the mysterious goddess at their instrumental bridge, and was surprised to find crimson eyes locked onto her own features.

 _Something isn't right_ , was the message she sensed from her companion. It appeared as if the eldest Walküre member wasn't the only jittery singer in this performance. The two shared a nod as they continued to sing powerfully, making sure to keep Freyja behind them as best they could. The little Windermerean was not a weak girl, but she had been a target of their enemies far too often. Walküre couldn't afford to let her be injured. That, and Kaname knew she'd never hear the end of it from Hayate if something happened to their apple-loving girl. Leader instincts took over in that moment as their current song came to an end.

"Everyone, I think it'd be best if-"

Kaname didn't have the chance to continue as an explosion ripped through their barrier and caused glass to fly in all directions. She heard Makina's yell for Reina and Freyja's girlish scream. Her body crashed forward from the impact and her head collided with the metal floor grates.

"ReiRei!" Her head spun and her ears rang from the explosion, but the woman would not just lay on the ground. Heaving herself up with effort, the redhead tried to focus on the shaking surroundings. She slid over to Mikumo, who was closest to her, and helped her sit up. The lavender-haired goddess shook her head to signal her unharmed state, and then Kaname wobbly rose to her feet. She noted that their newest member was covered in dirt smears and a few cuts, but had no serious damage to her. She was rubbing her head from where she impacted it, and the eldest made a mental note to send the girl to the medical bay after this battle.

Reina, their resident hacker, was not in such good condition. The missiles had collided from the right where the green-haired idol was situated, and she had taken the most impact. The petite girl's side was bleeding, and Makina cradled her into her arms. Skidding over, Kaname scanned Reina's body with her nails and immediately pulled a tegaderm dressing from the small kit at her waist. Applying it to the girl's wound, Makina was begging her for an explanation on what to do.

"Hush, Makina," she chastised. "Medical is on its way. Stay by her side," she instructed authoritatively as she stood to take in the damage and assess their Cygnus multidrone capabilities in lieu of their destroyed T-point dome.

And then she felt her insides twist. Kaname spun around just as an Sv-262 Draken III pulled up with its laser gun pointed directly into Walküre's stage. Even though it was just a moment, a hundred thoughts flickered into the leader's mind.

 _WeCanEscape-WeShouldCallThePlatoon-WeNeedToDistractIt-INeedToProtectFreyjaAndMikumoAndMakinaAndReina-CanTheMutlidronesShieldUsLongEnoughFor-_

"-Messer to get here-" she choked on her whispered words as the building energy of the laser heated up. Another second passed, yet if felt like an eternity in her mind's eye. Messer wasn't coming to save them because Messer was _dead_ and they had no protection. Hayate's warnings and Chuck's struggles to get to them would be to no avail. Commander Arad was zooming on the other side of the battlefield, and Mirage was cornered by two other Draken III units kilometers away. There was no escape.

It wasn't her first dangerous scenario with variable fighters, since Walküre had often been targeted by Var infected victims and enemies alike. But the strong woman was always confident that their safety was achievable. She had room to escape within her battlefield environment or their singing calmed the infected. More often though, a certain expert pilot would intercept any threat and leave them in a perfect blanket of protection. Shockingly, she knew that this was no longer the case. There was no efficient hero to save the day for them this time.

And all Kaname could picture was her raven-haired pilot who she supposed she'd be joining soon. With her next breathe, maybe her last breathe, Kaname summed up words that bubbled in her chest. It was the only thing she could muster.

" _That ray of light, holding feelings for only you_ ," she sang with a quiver as dark blue eyes flashed in her memory, " _Will never die out!_ "

The echo of laser fire was expected. What was not expected was how the Draken before her eyes erupted in flames and soared toward the ground. The redheaded singer was speechless as she watched a midnight black Valkyrie unit, unknown to her, hover before the exposed hole of their dome and continuously fired a cartridge of bullets at the enemy units.

Sliding to the floor, Kaname distinctly heard the mysterious Venus choose their song _Walküre Attacks_ to suddenly take over the arena, but she couldn't bring herself to sing yet. A strange feeling engulfed her chest as the unfamiliar machine continued to precisely and evenly attack the Windermerean army around the vicinity of Walküre's stage. Even though she could not see or confirm such a situation, the blue eyed woman would swear on her life that mysterious eyes were glancing back to her now and again.

 _Who is that?_ She couldn't begin to picture this presence in the battlefield, a lone dart of pitch black piercing the sky and destroying enemies left and right. It took down one of the two unit's cornering the Δ04 in a fly by, and continued onward to shoot down multiple drones scattered throughout the combat zone. In a strange maneuver, the unknown jet started scissoring with both Hayate's unit and the White Knight of Darwent, creating a triple helix of light in the sky. This caused a commotion with both planes, so all three units parted ways in various directions in apparent confusion.

Out of the blue, hands scooped under her elbows and helped her to stand. Freyja and Mikumo flanked her sides with worried glances, and Kaname awoke from her daze. She joined their chorus as she kept her eyes glued to the scene before her. The smoothness and ease of the variable fighter she watched was entrancing, and her normally steady voice was certainly non-active at this moment as she focused on the fighting. As it were, her emotionless voice wouldn't be problematic since a retreat flash from Windermere suddenly appeared. The redhead was certain she'd continue the battle half-awake and mesmerized by the obsidian Valkyrie if the fireworks of withdrawal did not come out. As it were, the enemy folded out within minutes and the mysterious unit shortly followed.

It made a pass by the broken T-point dome before its departure into folding, and the leader saw the outline of a flaming scythe insignia. It was not definitive in other markings, so no association could be found. Just a black plane disappearing into the purple haze of subspace.

With difficulty, the weary leader looked to her teammates again and assessed their damage. The usually perky Makina gazed teary-eyed at the approaching medivac, still applying pressure to her friend's wound. The mysterious Venus had brought smaller Freyja under her arm, easing the stress she suffered now that there was time to breathe. With a brush of her hand against her slightly throbbing temple, the red-haired singer started managing and caring for her charges, mechanically regrouping the situation. And as she did so, Kaname Buccaneer had a thousand questions about their battle.

~O~

". . . All we know is that it's not a part of the U.N. Spacey, Windermere, or Xaos. Let's not get reliant or expectant with this Bogie unit. Any questions?" Commander Arad Mölders gazed steadily at each member of Delta Platoon and Walküre, but no one made a sound. "Good. Meeting adjourned."

The present company all started mulling about and discussing the briefing, but Kaname slipped out the doors of the conference room before anyone could notice. She had been briefed before the others about their miraculous help in their last few battles. Lady M had made it abundantly clear that at least one member of Delta Platoon was to remain within the immediate proximity of Walküre at all times to prevent any situations where they were left exposed from cropping up again. However, she had no answers concerning the mysterious black Valkyrie and what to do about it. It frustrated the songstress to no end.

In the past three battles, the unknown unit showed up to help Delta Platoon when they were struggling with impeding destruction. Yet, no contact could be established with it, and it escaped untraceably every time by folding into subspace. The only thing they confirmed with certainty was that the fighter was a modified YF-30 Chronos variable type. Makina's mechanical assessment wouldn't be questioned.

Striding down the corridors, the black Chronos was all that occupied her mind these days. The leader couldn't disregard the feeling of connection she felt whenever the mysterious Valkyrie showed up. The one-way mirrored glass of the cockpit gave nothing away of the pilot, but Kaname's insides would twist with butterflies whenever it arrived. Her heart pounded with an unknown emotion as it protected Walküre, and she felt the pilot watching her despite having no evidence for that fact. It was almost as if the pilot's frequency matched her own, like a resonance of sorts, and she felt more than saw or knew anything about it.

"Miss Kaname!" Shaken from her train of thought, Kaname observed as Freyja skidded before her with an enthusiastic 'Hoina!' She greeted the younger girl pleasantly and asked about her health.

"I'm fit as a fiddle~!" she cheerfully implied. The bandage on her cheek was small, and the redhead was glad that their youngest member was safe. The Windermerean girl shuffled her feet and twisted her hands nervously as a silence overtook them. Something was on the girl's mind.

"Freyja," Kaname gently prodded. The addressed teen glanced up quickly and watched her leader intensely in her adorable manner. "Was there something you needed?"

"Ah, well, not need per say . . . but ask maybe- Hoina! Miss Kaname, how are you . . . feeling?" The apple-loving teen pointed to her forehead to mirror her leader's face. The redhead reached up a hand to her bandaged temple, where the evidence of her fading injury remained. In the aftermath of their battle near Ionideth, the leader had been so focused on taking care of injured Reina and the others that it wasn't until she nearly collapsed into Mikumo that Commander Arad ordered all of Walküre to get medically checked out and rested. Her mild concussion barely registered to her these days.

"I'm good Freyja. Don't you worry about me." She gave a quick smile to reassure their newest member. "Just be ready for our next Waccine concert in a few days, alright? We really have to do our best." The girl with multi-toned hair nodded vigorously before returning to wringing her hands. It seemed she wanted to say more, but felt hesitant. The older woman figured she'd have to coax it out of her.

"Freyja, do you want to have lunch in the cafeteria with me?" Perhaps the invitation was unexpected, but the other agreed excitedly, so the pair strode down the hallways toward their destination. Despite the chatter, the orange-haired Windermerean had a blue rune that gave away the state of her mind. The elder had to wonder what was upsetting the younger one.

The girl was a mystery to the Dividean, in many senses. She was a person on a short life line, yet lived passionately every day. If a certain blue haired boy was involved, however, Freyja turned into a jumbled mess of nerves and emotions. But just as her emotional highs were as powerful as a wind singer's, her lows were so deep that they contorted Freyja into a useless lump of flesh. She was a delicate girl who need both protection and support to succeed, but Kaname was grateful that the other members of Walküre and Delta Squad were happy to take those posts. She didn't have the capacity to do it all on her own these days. The leader of the tactical sound unit was more fragile than she cared to admit publicly.

"-that is to say, ever since Mr. Messer's passing-"

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Kaname asked, thoughts having drifted off. She automatically reacted to that particular name though. Watching the green eyed songstress as she shrunk away from her elder, Kaname tried to smile and send the message that there was no anger.

"I just think that, well, you should try to rest. You haven't been the same, Miss Kaname. Not since what happened to Mr. Messer- not that it's wrong or anything! Just the girls and I worry-"

"Freyja," she disrupted quickly. Freyja was a precious asset to Xaos, and as the leader, Kaname felt that she should manage her girls so they were taken care of. Not for them to try and care for her. She wanted her youngest to be free of worry, so she played her motherly role with the teen.

"I am so grateful for your concern. It has been a struggle for me, but I promise I'm okay." She took hold of the pale hand closest to her, giving it a squeeze. "I have been through worse." She wouldn't tell the Windermerean that in fact this was her worst struggle to date, if only to prevent her from being stressed unnecessarily.

Seemingly reassured, the green-eyed girl nodded again with a 'hoina', and chose to pull Kaname further down the hallways of the Elysion. Her rune was more pinkish now, so the other worried a little less. She opted for taking the conversation away from herself and delved into her curiosity.

"Say, Freyja, how are things these days with you and Hayate?" The reaction was comic and endearing, with the younger singer tripping over nothing and sputtering enthusiastically. Kaname caught the girl reeling backwards before she would drop to the floor, and tried not to giggle at the antics. Freyja heaved a sigh and the elder righted her into a standing position.

"H-H-Hayate? N-nothing out of the ordinary. W-why do you ask?" she cutely stuttered in a rush, avoiding eye contact with Kaname at all costs. The redhead smiled endearingly at her friend, and looped their arms together so they could almost skip down the hall.

"Oh, just curious," she answered with a sly smile. "It seems that he's piloting better and you're singing stronger these days."

It wasn't that she needed confirmation from Freyja, but the teasing amused her. Kaname was well aware of the connection the pair shared from headquarters, resulting in an exponential growth of talent from both parties. Their fold receptors were symbiotic, which allowed them greater capacity for improvement. The organization was hoping their special compatibility would help them discover a means for longer distance control over the Var.

"Y-you think so?" Freyja questioned in a flustered tone, giving away her shyness with a reddened rune. You had to be blind not to see the attraction she felt for their blue-haired rookie. The leader of Walküre had no idea what his feelings for the apple-lover were absolutely, but she assumed he reciprocated the sentiment by his faithful protectiveness and encouragement. It was a familiar interaction for her to see.

"It's probably because you two resonate so well with each other," Kaname mellifluously suggested. Poking her companion's cheek for good measure, she laughed at Freyja's squirming until the other had joined her in a bout of laughter as well. Kaname really loved watching the girl's lips pull from ear to ear with grins and hear her, sometimes alarming, chuckles.

"Is resonating so special, Miss Kaname?" the younger asked her once their stomachs had settled and they turned the final corner before entering the cafeteria. Being lunch time, the area was noisy and crowded with all sorts of Xaos subordinates, but they paid them no heed. Instead they ventured to retrieve their chosen foods, and quickly occupied a free table closest to the windows overlooking the darkness of deep space.

"Well, it has its benefits," the older idol rationalized as she took a bite of a Ragnan clamfish wrap. "For one, less exposure to the Var, though his fold receptors help him there too. I'd say it's mostly the enhanced awareness when flying and the increased abilities." Freyja nodded her head quickly in understanding. She watched as the blonde then took a hefty bite of her sea spider and jellyfish filled bread, squeaking in delight. Seeing her finish chewing, she continued with a finger against her chin. "It usually only happens with one pilot and one singer though."

"Whaa, so Hayate will only fly better with me?" the teen instantaneously determined, a bit of tentacle hanging from her lip. The redhead chuckled at Windermerean, using her fingers to pluck off the offending piece of food from the other. Her other hand went out and patted her head softly.

"Yes, most likely." She returned to her sandwich and continued with her exposition. "We've seen it before. Mikumo's voice is special since she resonates with many people to varying degrees. But she let's Commander Arad fly at his best, you know. It's one reason they were paired and work so well together." It was fitting that as she glanced outside, she saw a squad of VF-31A Siegfrieds take off from the deck of the Aether toward an unknown destination within the star filled blackness.

"I suppose Miss Makina and Miss Reina resonate too?" the girl wondered as she took in the same view, hand pressed against the chilly glass.

"You bet. They are so powerful when they sing together. It was their gift even before they got along." Kaname fondly remembered that when Makina first joined and they rehearsed as a unit with Claire and Lily, she spit out her coffee at the visual readings of Makina's output when Reina decided to sing a few cords.

"Wahhh, that's Deculture! How did you discover these things, Miss Kaname?" the curious teen enquired, finished now with consuming her meal and moving on to dessert: an apple. The singer shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, sipping on her hot tea.

"The research department did most of it," she provided, not going to take credit for actions that were not solely her own. "But I really noticed it when I started working together with Messer. . ." A pang of sadness bit into her chest, but she forced herself to not focus on it by gulping some tea. She needed to cope with her loss and be able to live around it. The other member of Walküre didn't notice her distress and forged ahead with her curiosity.

"Mr. Messer? Did you resonate with Mr. Messer?" her inquisitive voice remarked. It was difficult for Freyja, who was still so new and naïve to their world, to know all of the information that came with being a member of their organization. The redhead wouldn't chastise her for being curious if a bit obliviously callous. She was still a child after all.

"Ah, well, yes. Our compatibility was very high too." It wasn't her place to brag, so a pink flush graced Kaname's cheeks and pushed out her dolefulness. It wouldn't do to tell her friend that before she joined Walküre and Hayate joined Delta Squadron, Kaname and Messer had the highest synergy of resonance in Xaos. Commander Arad had once confided in her that the reason Messer Ihlefeld was recruited into their unit was exactly because of the resonance he displayed to even her digitized voice, despite his Var infection. It was only additional benefit that he was already an exceptional pilot and soldier. "But not the way you and Hayate do. Now that's pretty extraordinary," she added to retract herself.

As it were, their newest recruits vastly out-shined everyone in the fold receptor race. While Mikumo held the most influential position when it came to sheer power, effect, and control, Freyja's output was double what their lead vocalist could produce simply by focusing on the boy she liked. It was actually a little unreal to imagine.

"Hayate . . . he makes me feel good when he flies to my singing." Freyja timidly revealed, biting her lip awkwardly. The younger teen's mind seemed to drift off into deep thoughts, and the redhead observed her patiently. Kaname was aware that Windermereans felt rather than saw things because of their runes, so that meant Freyja understood subconsciously that the Δ05 pilot affected her with his actions. It was an ability she was envious of, in all honesty.

"Make sure you always sing well for him then, Freyja." The words were encouraging, and got the desired response. A pink flashing rune followed by a large smile. Kaname's heart felt a shot of warmth in that instant.

"Right!"

~O~

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Yay Progress~ HayaFre is super cute and I ship it too xD They'll be in here a lot I feel. And MakiRei. And MiraMiku. And KanaMiku. And of course KanaMesa because OTP feels xD So get used it it xP haha jk jk.

Also note: there are a few "encounters" in this chapter, so don't just assume the obvious one is the only relevant one here ;D


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